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Bugs Bunny
Bugs Bunny is an animated cartoon character, created in the late 1930s by Leon Schlesinger Productions (later Warner Bros. Cartoons) and voiced originally by Mel Blanc. Bugs is best known for his starring roles in the Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies series of animated short films, produced by Warner Bros. Though a similar character called Happy Rabbit debuted in the WB cartoon Porky's Hare Hunt (1938) and appeared in a few subsequent shorts, the definitive character of Bugs is widely credited to have made his debut in director Tex Avery's Oscar-nominated film A Wild Hare (1940). Bugs is an anthropomorphic gray and white rabbit or hare who is famous for his flippant, insouciant personality. He is also characterized by a Brooklyn accent, his portrayal as a trickster, and his catch phrase "Eh...What's up, doc?". Due to Bugs' popularity during the golden age of American animation, he became not only an American cultural icon and the official mascot of Warner Bros. Entertainment, but also one of the most recognizable characters in the world. He can thus be seen in the older Warner Bros. company logos. Since his debut, Bugs has appeared in various short films, feature films, compilations, TV series, music records, comics, video games, award shows, amusement park rides, and commercials. He has also appeared in more films than any other cartoon character, is the 9th most-portrayed film personality in the world, and has his own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. History with the Macy's Parade The beloved wascally wabbit was introduced to the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in the form of a 75-foot tall balloon in 1989, in order to celebrate his upcoming 50th anniversary. This was the only new balloon planned to debut that year, and it shows Bugs dressed in a snazzy suit and top hat, riding a star that reads the number 50, while chewing on his signature carrot. However, strong winds and snowfall caused the balloon to be punctured by trees before the parade started, and he--alongside Snoopy and Woodstock--could not start his march. Despite this, he returned and made his proper debut the following year, especially with his golden anniversary in mind. After his golden anniversary year, the number 50 was removed from his star in 1991, but he still continued to be a part of the balloon lineup. He was retired after 1992, and a new Bugs Bunny balloon has yet to be introduced to the parade. Other Appearances Though his balloon's scheduled debut in 1989 failed, Bugs did appear in walk-around form on a Looney Tunes float alongside Daffy Duck, Sylvester the Cat, Tweety, Yosemite Sam, Wile E. Coyote and The Road Runner, in celebration of his 50th birthday. His float's music act involved several teenagers singing a hip-hop song honoring all that the character is famous for. In addition to this, the song was the first known appearance of Jeff Bergman voicing the Looney Tunes characters after Mel Blanc's death. Two additional Warner Bros. floats were created for the Bugs balloon's appearances in the 1990 and 1991 parades, to promote the TV series Tiny Toon Adventures and Taz-Mania; the Bugs walk-around appeared on the float of the former series, where he taught a lesson in Thanksgiving fun to several of its child characters, including Babs and Buster Bunny, who regard him as their mentor. The Bugs balloon last appeared in 1992, one year before the premiere of Tiny Toons' spin-off show Animaniacs. Later Appearances after Retirement Though his original balloon may never return due to new rules, and while a new balloon has yet to be made, the Bugs walk-around has reappeared in the Macy's Parade. It appeared in 2001 on the Toon Balloon-Abration float honoring the parade's anniversary, along with many other characters who had balloons that had been retired (such as Kermit the Frog, Garfield, and Smokey Bear), then in 2011 on the 85th anniversary's Hats Off To Our Heritage float, with a new costume based on his redesign from The Looney Tunes Show. Incidents * In 1989, the balloon was punctured by trees before the parade started, which made it not suitable to fly. After he was taken down and deflated, his handlers would instead handle the Quik Bunny balloon. * In 1992, the leaves of Bugs' carrot were ripped off by a tree, but the rest of the balloon remained undamaged. Music * The Merry-Go-Round Broke Down (''Looney Tunes ''opening theme) (1990-1992) Gallery *Gallery: Bugs Bunny Category:Macy's Balloon Characters Category:Cartoon Characters Category:Movie Characters Category:1989 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade Category:Retired Balloons Category:Big Balloons Category:1980s Balloons Category:Male Balloons Category:Raven Aerostar Balloons Category:Balloons that were in an accident Category:Balloons that got removed from the parade Category:Balloons accompanied by floats